I meant to get this out prior to the very first puck drop of the season, in tonight's opening Habs versus Leafs game. Alas, sometimes life interferes.
So I'm about an hour late. Anyway, here is the extremely abbreviated version of what would have been an awesome (and long) article about the upcoming 2011-12 NHL season's eventual final standings. Enjoy.
And don't forget to come back next Spring to marvel at my powers (or more likely mock my complete ineptitude).
Top 8 in the East (in ALPHABETICAL order):
Boston Buffalo Carolina New York Rangers Philadelphia Pittsburgh Tampa Bay Washington
Top 8 in the West (in ALPHABETICAL order):
Anaheim Chicago Columbus Detroit Los Angeles San Jose St. Louis Vancouver
Eastern Conference Final: Buffalo over Washington Western Conference Final: Vancouver over Los Angeles
Upon diving into this list, I quickly realized that there is a severe shortage of pure hockey films - movies where hockey is the story, and the characters are hockey players, and the overall message of the film has something to say about hockey and life. Soooo, I had to stretch the criteria a bit, and the results are as follows:
Slap Shot (1977)Starring Paul Newman, Strother Martin, Michael Ontkean, Jennifer Warren, Lindsay Crouse – An obvious candidate for the No.1 spot. I mean, the Hanson Brothers .... the Charlestown Chiefs .... There is little need to say more.
Youngblood (1986)Starring Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves - Then-active NHL players, Steve Thomas and Peter Zezel, both have small non-speaking roles as Youngblood's teammates on the Mustangs. The film also starred former NHLer Eric Nesterenko, who played the father of Lowe's Dean Youngblood. The filming of Youngblood took place in the east end of Toronto. Ted Reeve Arena was used as the setting for the interior of the Hamilton Mustangs home rink while Scarborough Gardens Arena was used for the setting of the arena's exterior.
Wayne’s World (1992)Starring Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Rob Lowe, Tia Carrere, Brian Doyle-Murray, Lara Flynn Boyle - Myers is an admitted hockey fan, and this movie and its main characters offer too many hockey references to ignore. There’s Wayne and Garth's hangout, Stan Mikita's Donuts, named after the former Blackhawks player. This is a reference to Tim Horton's, a doughnut shop chain named for and started by Tim Horton, a player from the Toronto Maple Leafs (Mike Myers' favorite team). There were also numerous hockey references in the Saturday Night Live skits, including a one-on-one hockey game featuring Wayne Campbell vs. Wayne Gretzky. Game on.
Sudden Death (1995)Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme – Tagline: “Action Goes into Overtime”. Qualifies on the basis that it is set during Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in Pittsburgh. It has a typically unrealistic plot for a Van Damme movie. But still, Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. It’s in!
Happy Gilmore (1996)Starring Adam Sandler – Yes, another Sandler film. How is it that he keeps creeping into these lists? More a golf movie, so it will make that yet-to-be-compiled Top Ten List as well, but it qualifies for the hockey list based on the fact he is an aspiring hockey player with a killer slap shot but little skating ability. The fistfight with Bob Barker is also the stuff of legend.
Chasing Amy (1997)Starring Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Joey Lauren Adams, Matt Damon, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith - Obviously not a hockey movie, but rarely if ever has a hockey scene in a non-hockey movie so accurately reflected the emotional shattering of two characters and laid out a pathway for the rest of the story to travel. (Please be aware the unedited and uncensored clip linked below has adult themes and lots of foul and explicit language, so it is obviously NSFW). The first 4:40 of the scene is most important, but the remaining 4:10 has some emotionally wrenching dialogue that, depending on how deeply you want to analyze this, may or may not provide some additional insight into the hockey game they just left, or the whole sport of hockey itself. Also contains a few good rips on the officials which I will be using in the future.
Mystery, Alaska (1999)Starring Russell Crowe, Hank Azaria, Mary McCormack, Burt Reynolds, Colm Meaney, Lolita Davidovich – Think about it. Crowe gets to police mostly minor crime in a small Alaskan town. All the while, he gets to think about hockey, talk about hockey with others, play hockey in the “Saturday Game”, welcome the New York Rangers to town for an exhibition, and to top it off he has McCormack waiting for him back home. I’ll take that deal.
Bruce Almighty (2003) – Starring Jim Carrey, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Aniston - Again, not a hockey movie. But I am obligated to include it here because it may very well be the only time I hear the phrase “The Buffalo Sabres have just won the Stanley Cup!” As a native Buffalonian now living in the Midwest, I remain a lifelong and long suffering Sabres fan hoping that the Blue and Gold can someday hoist Lord Stanley’s glorious Cup. Thank you, Jim Carrey, for giving hope to that dream.
Miracle (2004)Starring Kurt Russell – Herb Brooks is a local hero in these parts, besides being a national treasure. R.I.P Herb.
Ice Kings (2006)Starring Jim Lampley, Bill Macatee - Film critic, Jay Seaver, who probably looks like this, reviewed the documentary when it screened at the Boston Film Festival four years ago, and had this to say: "I'm not much of a hockey fan - baseball and basketball have tended to rule in Seaver households - so a lot of the hockey-specific details may have flown right past me. It's a nifty story, though, even for non-fans, and I expect hockey fans may appreciate it even more."
The Pittsburgh Penguins not only lost Game 2 - the Igloo has been stolen!
Seriously, the Igloo hasn't really been stolen; it's still in Pittsburgh - for now. The Penguins will be hosting Game 5 there and if it comes down to the decisive 7th game - that too will take place at the Igloo.
However, by not winning both home games - the Pens will be forced to win at least one game in Montreal to win the series.
Now, the idea of losing the home ice advantage by losing one of the first two games seems not only overplayed and discussed - but irresponsible journalism. The Hockey Guru is on a mission to eliminate that phrase from our collective sports vernacular.
Did the Bruins have the home ice advantage in Round One against the Sabres? Of course not, the home ice advantage for Buffalo was that Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 were slated to be on their ice. The fact the Sabres lost in 6 games - doesn't change the fact they had the home ice advantage for the series. However, Claude Julien stated after Game 2, "People will say we have home-ice advantage now, and we do."
The acceptance from the media and the fans in general that allow that phrase to be used is beyond annoying! Home ice advantage is determined prior to the series and DOESN'T change.
Anyhow, the more important issue is what is the advantage of playing on home ice?
Comfort of sleeping in your own bed?
It's not like road teams are arriving on a bus on game day or sleeping on the floor in sleeping bags. With the charter flights and four and five-star accomodations - maybe not sleeping in your own bed is the advantage.
Players have less distractions on the road (less demand for tickets, arrangements for family, friends, etc.,), teams are together at the same location for game day meetings and may have greater focus being on the road.
Everybody seems to have their own version of the "White Out." While it is a great spectacle to view on television or even to be a part of - most playoff teams have been through it all before and certainly aren't intimidated by the event.
If any team relies on their fans for motivation - they aren't a Stanley Cup contender. Fans can lift up a team - such as Montreal fans seem to have done in Round One. Fans can also create greater pressure and hinder a team - such as San Jose - particularly early in Round One.
All-in-all, there is a human element and emotional element involved in the sport - and there are certainly times when the fans at least seem to impact the play on the ice. Like this...
Or this...
Guru's Advantage-meter: Minor advantage
Last Change - Lineup Juggling
Perhaps the most significant tactical advantage - the home team coach has the last change. However, through line juggling, etc. - visiting coaches are often able to get the matchups they want. However, it seems to the Guru that more and more coaches are downplaying the importance of creating "matchups" and the game-within-the game seems to be neglected.
Guru's Advantage-meter: Moderate advantage
Even with the "advantages" listed, in Round 1 this year, home teams were (22-27). The 8 teams with the home ice advantage went (4-4) in their series'. Teams playing at home in Game 7 were (0-2).
What does that tell us? Is there a home ice advantage? Or is there a home ice disadvantage? Or neither?
What say you? (Remembering that STP would love to hear other thoughts, comments and opinions)
